Claim Filing Windows and Documents to Gather
This is general information, not legal advice.
Filing windows for auto transport damage claims are written into the paperwork for that move. Read those documents. Do not treat a number you saw on a general webpage as the window for your shipment.
Where to look up the filing window
- Read the contract or broker order, the bill of lading, and the carrier claim terms.
- Look for a number of days, the event that starts the count, and the address or portal where the claim has to be sent.
- The broker terms and the carrier terms can name different windows. Follow the document that belongs to the company you are filing with, and keep a copy of the page you used.
- If the claim terms are only on a website, save a PDF or a screenshot of that page with the date you saved it.
Documents to gather before you file
- Pickup bill of lading and delivery bill of lading, including any damage notes and signatures
- Photos and video from pickup and from delivery
- The carrier or broker claim form, if they publish one
- A repair estimate or invoice, if you have one
- The written denial, if you already received one
- Dates for booking, pickup, delivery, and the day you first reported the damage
The $29 Evidence Pack is a ZIP of 10 printable PDFs. One is a facts-only timeline with date lines for booking and dispatch, pickup, transit, delivery, damage discovery, and claim filing. Another is a submission checklist of documents to gather and a suggested upload order for a carrier or broker portal.
Other guides
- Damage at delivery — Inspect before you sign, take photos and video, and write down the driver's name and truck number.
- Bill of lading notation — How to note damage on the delivery bill of lading, and why a clean signature makes it harder to show the damage.
- Claim denied — Ask for the denial reason in writing, request the carrier insurance certificate, and use the FMCSA complaint route.